Skanda Purana — Mahesvara Khanda, Shloka 33

Devanagari script

ववर्ष भिषजोर्मूर्ध्नि संछाद्याकाशगोचरम् । तावप्यस्त्रैः स्मृतैः सर्वाश्छेदतुर्दैत्यसायकान्

Transliteration

vavarṣa bhiṣajormūrdhni saṃchādyākāśagocaram | tāvapyastraiḥ smṛtaiḥ sarvāśchedaturdaityasāyakān

Translation

Er ließ Geschosse auf die Häupter der beiden göttlichen Ärzte niederregnen und verhüllte damit die Weite des Himmels. Doch sie beide, ihrer Waffen eingedenk, zerschnitten alle Pfeile des Daitya.

Word by Word

• ववर्ष: rained (down)
• ववर्ष: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• भिषजोः: of the two physicians (Aśvins)
• भिषजोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिषज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; षष्ठी विभक्ति (6th/Genitive); द्विवचन

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikaraṇa (Locative)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; सप्तमी विभक्ति; एकवचन

• संछाद्य: having covered
• संछाद्य: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (Prior action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+छद् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund); पूर्वक्रिया (having covered)

• आकाशगोचरम्: the sky-region
• आकाशगोचरम्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश+गोचर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; एकवचन; समासः—आकाशस्य गोचरम् (the sky-region/airspace)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: Karta (Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा विभक्ति; द्विवचन

• अपि: also
• अपि: Sambandha (Particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; समुच्चय/अपेक्षार्थक (also/even)

• अस्त्रैः: with weapons/missiles
• अस्त्रैः: Karaṇa (Instrument)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन

• स्मृतैः: remembered/recited (as mantras)
• स्मृतैः: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्मृ (धातु) → स्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; तृतीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying अस्त्रैः)

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Viśeṣaṇa (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; विशेषण (qualifying दैत्यसायकान्)

• अच्छेदतुः: they two cut down
• अच्छेदतुः: Kriyā (Action)
• Type: Verb
• Root: छिद् (धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect/Past); प्रथमपुरुष; द्विवचन; परस्मैपद; (a-augment)

• दैत्यसायकान्: the demon’s arrows
• दैत्यसायकान्: Karman (Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैत्य+सायक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया विभक्ति; बहुवचन; समासः—दैत्यस्य सायकाः (demon’s arrows)

Speaker

Sūta (Lomaharṣaṇa) narrating to the sages (deduced from Māheśvarakhaṇḍa context)

Visual Art Cues

Scene: A dense rain of arrows blankets the sky over the Aśvins; they stand poised, invoking remembered astras, creating a shimmering defensive lattice that slices the Daitya’s missiles mid-flight.

Characters & Entities

• Aśvins
• Daitya (demon warrior)

FAQs

What is the primary spiritual lesson of this shloka?

Remembrance of sacred knowledge (smṛti of astras/mantras) becomes protection when danger ‘covers the sky’.

Which specific holy site (Tirtha) is glorified here?

No tīrtha is referenced in this verse; it is a combat episode within the Kaumārikākhaṇḍa.

What ritualistic prescription is mentioned?

No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse highlights mantra-empowered weaponry through remembrance.